Postage printing machine



April 8,1941 I R. s. N'LSSON 2.237.446

POSTAGE PRINTING MACHINE ATTORNEY April 8, 1941. fe. s. NILSSQN 2237.446

' YPOSTACirE PRINTING- MACHINE Filed July 22. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7,/7/7 .f: .m fl 48 f l I /6' r 14. 4 9 l :est amc: z. I

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 8, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QLFFICE POSTAGE PRINTING MACHINE Application July 22, 1939, Serial No. 285,915 Inv France October 12, 1938 4 Claims. (Cl. 23S- 101) This invention relates to value stamp printing machines for use in printing Ia value postage stamp impression and a postmark impression upon mail matter.

'I'he particular machine to which the improvement provided by means of this invention is applied is known as a metered m-ail machine and includes aV rotary printing drum, selective value setting members, a totalizer and totalizer actuating devices.

In machines of this character which are now known and in commercial use, it has been the usual practise to adjust the printing wheels from a position on the frame of the machine apart from the lprinting drum. This however, led to the vuse of complicated connections between the printing wheels and setting devices owing to the rotation of the printing drum during a printing cycle of operation.

In the device of this invention, a considerably simplified arrangement has been provided in that the entire printing wheel setting mechanism and the totalizer actuating'mechanism is arranged Within the printing drum.

It is one object of the invention therefore, to provide in a simple compact structure a plurality of value printing Wheels, means to control the setting of totalizer actuating mechanism in accordance with the value to be printed, and individual manipulative means to effect the setting of the individual value prin-ting wheels and the totalizer actuating mechanism.

It is a further object to support the value printing mechanism, the totalizer actuating mechanism and the manipulative means within the printing drum.

It is also an object to support the printing drum at only one end land thereby leave the opposite end free for manipulation of the manipulative devices.

It is a further object to utilize a radially adjustable tooth totalizer actuating mechanism and to include mechanism whereby the same may be arranged in such position that the adjustable teeth may be extended beyond the drum circumference during a manual value setting operation in accordance with the value selected for printing.

It is also an object to arrange the connections between the manipulative control and printing ratchet connections with a single set of tube line connections in the second named instance.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front View of the machine partly shown in elevation and partly in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view in section on the line II-II of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line III-III of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a partial section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2, the drum being in the printing position;

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view in projection, showing one of the printing wheels and the device for controlling same;

Figure 6 is a perspective View showing one of the devices for transmitting movement to the totalizer;

Figure 7 is a section on line VII-VII of Figure 6;

Figures 8 and 9 show the transmitting means in two different operative positions; and

Figure 10 is a developed View on a larger scale of the printing part of the drum.

The drum I is in the iorm of a cylinder open at one end and closed at the other end by a -plate 2, and is fixed to a shaft 3 rotating in a frame 4.

`The shaft 3 and the drum I may be rotated by means of a crank 'l through a shaft G and a suitable bevel gearing 5. A ratchet wheel 8 keyed to the shaft 6 and co-operating with the pawl 8a mounted on the frame prevents the rotation of the crank 'I in one direction, while permitting it to rotate in the other direction.

The drum I is mounted above a table 9 carried by the frame, the envelope to be franked being placed on the left hand end of said table (Figure 1). v

'Apresser roller I0 carried by a lever II pivotally mounted at I2 is urged by a spring I3, the tension of which is regulable by means of a screw I4, through an aperture I5 formed in the table 9 to bear against the periphery of the drum. It follows thatduring the rotation of `the drum by means of Vthe crank, the envelope placed upon the table 9 is engaged between the roller Iii and the drum and is moved towards the right hand end of the table. The franking takes place during one revolution of the drum. A

Through an aperture IBof this drum project theprinting wheels Il, three in number in the embodiment shown. Each of the wheels is provided 'wth a gear I8, the Wheels and corresponding gears being mounted loose on a common shaft I9 carried by a plate 29, which is fixed to the drum by means of an angle ilange 23a.

Each gear I8 meshes with a driving gear 2I through a pinion 22. The gears 2| are provided with oper-ating levers 23 and the hub of each is fixed to a hollow shaft 24. The various hollow shafts are mounted or nested one within the other and the assembly is mounted on 4a common shaft 25 iixed to the plate 20 and to the drum.`

Each of the three hollow shafts 24 carries a gear and these gears respectively mesh with yarcuate racks 2i concentric with reference to the shaft 3 of the drum. These racks (Figure 6) are formed on the angular flange of members 28, also arcuate and provided with key portions 29 guided in arcuate key ways 30 of members 3l fixed to the drum.

Between each member 3I and the correspond ing rack 28 are disposed, in the plane of yan arcuate groove 3Ia formed in the periphery of the drum, nine teeth 32 guided in radial grooves 33 of member 3l, each of the teeth having a projection 34 engaging in a groove 35 of the rack 28. This groove 35 is formed by two arcuate portions connected by a cam portion 36. See Figs, 8 and 9.

It will be understood that according to the angular position of the racks 28, which upon the position of the operating levers 23 of the gears 2 I, and consequently upon the angular position of the printing wheels I'I on their shaft, a larger or smaller number of teeth 32 project from the surface of the drum through the slots 3 Ia. In Figure 8, the position of the rack is shown in which none of the teeth projects, which corresponds to the zero position of the appropriate wheel, while in Figure l and, also in Figures 6 and 9, five teeth are shown projecting, which corresponds to the impression of the Figure by the appropriate wheel.

During the rotation of the drum the teeth associated with each rack rotate a pinion 31 having ten teeth, said pinion co-operating with a suitable totalizer 33, the assembly of racks, teeth and wheels 3l thus forming a device for transmitting the stamp values to the totalizer.

Figure 1 shows the drum in its position of rest. In this position it is locked by a bolt 39 sliding in the rear plate 2 of the drum and pressed into an aperture 40 of the frame by a spring 39a carried by the plate 20. Therefore, when it is desired to turn the drum for eiecting franking, it is necessary previously to disengage the bolt 39, which is done by pressing on a lever 4I. The latter is carried by a shaft 42 provided with an angular arm 43, which engages the bolt 39 with its end.

Simultaneously with the depression of the lever 4I, the crank is turned and the bolt, disengaged from the aperture 40, bears during the whole of the revolution against the frame and re-engages in the aperture 40 at the end of a complete revolution, thus again locking the drum. i

The bolt has, within thedrum, a pin- 44 disposed opposite three pawls 45, respectively engaging the intermediate gears 22. When the drum is in its position of rest and the bolt 39 is engaged in the aperture 40, the pin 441s spaced from the pawls 45, so that the latter may act freely when the gears 2| are turned with the aid of the levers 23, When, on the contrary, the drum has started its rotation and the boltw39 has been pressed back ntothe interior oi the drum, the pin 44 bears against the backs of the three pawls which thus lock the gears 22 and the printing wheels, It follows that the value of the Cil levers 23, in such a manner that each of themshows the desired figure in the aperture I6 of the drum. This operation is facilitated by the fact that the levers 23 project through suitable slots (not shown) formed in a cover 46 closing the front end of the drum and provided with gradua- -tions (not shown) which indicate for each wheel the gure corresponding to the position of its operating lever 23.

The displacement of a lever has for its result not onlythe positioning of the desired gure of the printing wheel in the printing position, but also the projection from the periphery of the drum of a number of teeth 32 equal to the value of the figure to be printed. It is then suiiicient to place the letter to be frankecl on the left hand end of the table 9, so that its rear edge shall engage a guide wallon the table 9 and its leading edge shall engage the presser roller I 0, whereupon the lever 4I is depressed for releasing the drum and the crank is turned, the lever 4I then being released.

During the complete revolution of the drum the letter is drawn between the drum I and presser roller II) and a value stamp is imprinted thereon, the value of the stamp being transmitted `to the totalizer at the same time. 'Ihe end of the revolution is marked by the engagement of the bolt 39 in the aperture 49, which determines the rotation of the drum, the machine being thus ready for a fresh franking.

The drum carries a dating stamp 4l comprising in known manner printing wheels 43 (five wheels in the example shown, two for the day of the month, one for the number oi' the month and one for the year) which may be displaced by hand in known manner. It also carries at 49 an indication of the town and if necessary of the province or county or any other indications which it might be useful to print at the same time as the stamp and the date.

An inking roller 50 bearing against the periphery of the drum ensures in known Ymanner the continuous provision of ink.

It is obvious that the Vembodiment described is'merely an example and that same may be modified without leaving the spirit of theinvention. i

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, and in what manner the same is tofbe performed, what is claimed is:

l. In a value printing and totalizing machine, the combination with a printing drum, a totalizer adjacent said drum including a gear drive thereforjradially adjustable teeth supported within the drum structure and projectable into the path of the ,totalizer gear drive, and value printing wheels having an angularly disposed axis transverse to the drum axis and supported withinthe drum structure; of pivotal setting levers having ari'axis transverse to the printing drum axis, a direct spur gear drive betweenV the setting levers and 4printing wheels, cam means engaging the adjustable teeth and adjustable about'the drum axis, arcuate racks associated with the cam members and movable about the drum axis, gears meshing with said racks and including tube line connections, said latter connections being rotatable about the pivotal axis of the setting levers.

2. The combination with a printing drum having adjustable type wheels therein and register actuating mechanism; of means to simultaneously adjust the type wheels and register actuating mechanism including manual setting levers pivotally mounted in the drum and adapted to rotate about an axis transverse to the drum axis, and gear connections from said setting levers to the type wheels and register actuating mechanism.

' 3. The combination with a printing drum having adjustable type wheels therein and register actuating mechanism; of means to simultaneously adjust the type wheels and register actuating mechanism including manual setting levers pivotally mounted in the drum and adapted to rotate about an axis transverse to the drum axis, and driving gear members operated directly from said setting levers including gear connections with the type Wheels and register actuating mechanism, each of said driving gear members being rotatable about axes parallel to the setting lever axes.

4. The combination with a printing drum having adjustable type wheels therein and register actuating mechanism; of means to simultaneously adjust the type wheels and register actuating mechanism including manual setting levers pivotally mounted in the drum and adapted to rotate about an axis transverse to the drum axis, gear connections from said setting levers to the type Wheels and register actuating mechanism including drive gears directly operable by the setting levers and rotatable about axes parallel to the setting lever axes, gear connections between the said drive gears and type Wheels, and arcuate rack connections between the drive gears and register actuating mechanism.

ROBERT SEVERIN NILSSON. 

